Shogi Silence
by LuxaLovesLawnmowers
Summary: Shikamaru needs a shogi partner, and finds one in the unlikely form of the enigmatic Ibiki Morino.


Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.

This is shonen-ai, and the first in a 13 part series (that will all be seperate stories, so this technically is complete) I call Ibiki and the Konoha 11...and Sai and Sasuke. It is my challenge to myself that I can write a romantic story between Ibiki and all members of the Konoha 11...and Sai and Sasuke. I'm thinking Choji will be my hardest sell. Bleah.

Anyway, this isn't, like, over romantic, but meraly implied shonen-ai. Or you can just judge for yourself. Enjoy!

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Shikamaru was almost perpetually bored, and ever since Asuma's death it had gotten worse. His longtime shogi partner was gone, and his father wasn't a good enough replacement. He'd never lost, and he went from person to person looking for someone to play against. They all got frustrated, however, and wouldn't play with him.

One day, when he was sitting along at his shogi board during his lunch break, Tonbo swaggered up and mentioned that if he was looking for a shogi partner, he could try Ibiki Morino. Shikamaru nodded, wondering where Ibiki ate his lunch. Tonbo directed him to Ibiki's office, where Ibiki was working even now, up to his muscular elbows in paperwork.

Shikamaru proffered the board, and Ibiki's dark eyebrows rose. Within minutes they were playing, and Shikamaru looked forward to an opponent who would be slightly more difficult to beat.

He lost in eight moves.

He couldn't believe it.

His shocked eyes rose from the board to see Ibiki's smirk, cynical and arrogant.

He demanded a rematch, and lost again.

He came back every day, and every day Ibiki was in his office. They played, and every time Shikamaru lost.

Eventually he came to tell what kind of mood Ibiki was in by how quickly the game was won. If he was in a good humor, or was getting a lot of work done, he could win in eight moves, maybe six. If he was in a foul temper, Shikamaru would be able to counterattack at least twice and it would take fifteen to eighteen. Once, when Ibiki's shoulders had been much more slumped than usual and his black eyes were completely unreadable, it took thirty-two. Once and a while he wasn't there, working in the interrogation cells for the day.

Shikamaru had never before met someone so hard to figure out than Ibiki Morino, and he told him so once during their second game of the day. Ibiki asked if he was trying to figure his winning strategy out of Ibiki himself. Shikamaru said both. Ibiki said it was easy if you could read people. He may not be quite as smart as Shikamaru, but he was the leading expert in Konoha on strategy and psychology, which, in his opinion, were both essential to shogi.

He did not answer the other question.

They stayed casual friends until Shikamaru, once again at the brink of boredom-induced suicide- decided to find out where Ibiki lived and approach him for a game of shogi there. It was long after midnight, but Shikamaru was wide-awake and bored. He trudged over to the address that Yugao had handed him (smirking all the while) only to find that no one was home. With nothing better to do, he headed back to the Intel Division building out of curiosity, wondering if Ibiki was still there. He doubted it, thinking that not even Ibiki could be that much of a workaholic.

He was there, eyes unwavering as he dealt with his unending pile of paperwork. Shikamaru had never thought about the amount of forms that T&I dealt with, except maybe when sending a stack of papers to Ibiki via messenger.

Ibiki looked faintly surprised when he saw him, the most emotion he'd gotten out of him since the day when he'd given Shikamaru that arrogant smile.

"Have enough time to play a game of shogi?" suggested Shikamaru with a wry smile, not bothering to explain what had led him here.

"Does it look like I do?" Ibiki barely appeared to pay attention to the forms he was filling out, seemingly immerged in a sleep-deprived stupor that Shikamaru had experienced too often.

"You should take breaks once and a while."

Ibiki rolled his eyes, and it occurred to Shikamaru that everything the two of them said to each other was quietly stimulating in a way no other conversation was. They both considered every word they said carefully, battling for domination in words that made even the most casual statement worth considering.

"I don't have time. I don't want to become like you."

"And what's that supposed to mean?"

"Your department is backed up two months as it is, and yet you still have time for thirty minutes breaks."

"I don't believe in overworking myself. We're going to be backed up either way."

Ibiki chuckled, and Shikamaru noticed that the man's normally tan skin was pale, almost sickly.

"Staying around here isn't healthy for you, you know." commented Shikamaru, shifting the shogi board from his left arm to his right.

"A lot of things aren't healthy for me." mused Ibiki, turning a page in a stapled, tedious-looking document.

Shikamaru leaned against his desk, and a silent battle waged. Shikamaru thought Ibiki should go home. Ibiki had work to get done. Shikamaru didn't care. Ibiki did. Shikamaru was going to drag him home whether he liked it or not. Ibiki would like to see him try. Shikamaru could call Anko in, if Ibiki wanted to stay _that _badly. Ibiki would go home, if Shikamaru would leave him alone. Shikamaru didn't believe him, and was going to bring him home himself if he had to. Ibiki conceded defeat, and stood up.

This happened without a word on either side.

Ibiki grabbed his trench-coat from the back of his chair and pulled it on, betraying no sign of annoyance, while Shikamaru showed no evidence of smugness on his part.

The streets of Konoha were dark, and they walked quickly and silently. Shikamaru sensed a great tiredness on Ibiki's part, and knew he was right in his decision to accompany the older man home. When they reached his apartment Ibiki nodded to him, his silent way of thanking Shikamaru for making sure the workaholic T&I expert got a little sleep. Shikamaru found himself edging in through the door as Ibiki shut it, with the claim that he nothing better to do. Ibiki, with the same claim himself, accepted his excuse.

Ibiki turned on a light and threw off his trench-coat while Shikamaru made himself cozy on one of the ancient couches. When Ibiki started untying his bandanna he didn't even glance at Shikamaru, but he could feel the taller man's tension. It was Ibiki's place however, and Shikamaru had insisted on "escorting" him home to make sure he got some rest, and that was what Ibiki intended to do.

Shikamaru gazed at the scars on Ibiki's scull with a borderline indifference. They were horrible, yes, but they had been received in the line of duty and even lazy Shikamaru could appreciate that. Shikamaru had always gotten angry at those who laughed or made fun of Ibiki's scars. He was a strong and proud man, and Shikamaru had always commended him for it.

Shikamaru blinked back to reality as Ibiki banged around his kitchen, making a quick bowl of ramen with such speed that Naruto would've been proud.

"Nothing for me?" pouted Shikamaru.

"Make it yourself. You're the one imposing."

Ibiki ate with a comparable speed too, and was pulling off his shirt before Shikamaru knew it. "I'm going to get an hour or two of sleep. Stay on the couch if you have to." he turned away from Shikamaru, giving Shikamaru an excellent view of Ibiki's broad and scarred back- and one scar dominated the other, stretching all the way across his back while being deep and wide. It could only have come from an extended amount of time spent with something sharp and deep in his back, and Shikamaru realized exactly what the difference between their battle experience was.

He heard the bed creak, and knew that Ibiki was in it. Overcome with a sudden sleepiness, he decided that the couch wasn't good enough for him and staggered after Ibiki, noting with satisfaction that the bed was big enough for both of them, even considering Ibiki's size.

"What are you doing?"

"Sleeping."

"I said on the couch!"

"This is more comfortable." He smirked, laying his head on Ibiki's muscled stomach. He, surprisingly, did not protest, only to lay a hesitant, heavily scarred hand on Shikamaru, hair, which he had let out of its ponytail.

No words were said. No words were needed.

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Review and tell me what you thought!

P.S. I don't know anything about shogi, so don't critizise me if you can't win it in six moves. Ibiki can.

Review!


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